Fruit-picker.



H. TIDD.

y FRUIT PIGKBR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1908. 9314,205 Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

314114514 loz'I on. I

HILDA TIDD, OF GEORGETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

FRUIT-PICKER.

Application led November 20, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Serial No. l163,630.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that l, HILDA Tinn, a citizen of the United States, residingat Georgetown, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Pickers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to fruit culture and more particularly to fruitpickers, and has for its object to provide picker with which fruit maybe easily and quickly removed from trees, and which will be furthermoreso arranged that it may be made from wire at a low figure.

A particular object is to provide a structure producing properstrengthening members for the fruit engaging jaws.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription and it will be understood that changes in the specificstructure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

ln the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar' parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the resent fruit picker engaged with apear. llig. 2 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the mouthloop, the jaws, and the jaw strengthening member. Fig. 3 is a detailview showing the manner of attaching the longitudinal wires to thehandle.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a fruit picker comprisinga handle 5 having a basket 6 mounted upon its upper end, the basketbeing open at its top and having upwardly and inwardly curved portions 7carrying convergent jaws 8 and 9. The basket includes a mouth loop 10 ofwire, this loop being formed of a length of wire curved to form sideportions 11 and a forward bight portion 12. The portions 11 at theirrearward ends, are curved upwardly and forwardly as shown at 13, and arethen bent at acute angles as shown at 14, and converged rearwardly toproduce the aws 8 and 9. These jaws meet at a crotch 15, and beyond thiscrotch the two portions of the wire are twisted together as shown at 16,

being carried downwardly as indicated at 17 and then curved forwardly asindicated at 18. The extremity of the twisted portions of the wire isbent downwardly as indicated at 19, and rests against the side of thehandle 5. This twisted portion is thus of greater rigidity than theportion 13, and acts to support the jaws 8 and 9.

A plurality of vertically extending wires 2O are engaged at their upperends with the loop 10, these wires being carried downwardly and havingtheir lower portions curved inwardly as shown at 21, the extremities ofthese wires being bent downwardly as shown at 22 and disposed againstthe side of the handle 5. A wrapping wire 23 is then engaged around theextremities 22 of the wires 20, confining these extremities and theextremity 19 to the handle, and thus forming a socket for the handle.

As will be readily understood, there is some resilience in the portion13 and the twisted portion 16, so that if the picker is used ingathering ripe fruit, the tendency of the jaws to spring upwardlyinstead of pulling the fruit from the tree will indicate the greennessof the fruit. On the other hand, the portion 16 sufficiently preventsextreme upward movement of the jaws to allow green fruit to be pickedwhen it is desired to do so.

'W hat is claimed is:

A fruit picker comprising a basket consisting of a horizontallyextending mouth loop, said loop being formed of a length of wire curvedto present side portions and a forward bight portion, the side portionshaving their rearward -ends curved upwardly and forwardly and then bentinwardly at an acute angle and converged rearwardly to forni jaws, thesaid wire beyond the jaws being twisted together and extended downwardlybetween the upwardly curved portions of the wire, a plurality ofvertically extending wires se- `cured at their upper ends to the loop,said j wires being extended downwardly and 1nwardly, and a handlesecured to said downwardly extending portions.

ln testimony whereof I my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HILDA TIDD.

Witnesses z GEORGE L. METCALF, ROBERT l?. METOALF.

